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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the transition of the nurse aide certification program |
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from the Health and Human Services Commission to the Texas Board of |
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Nursing and the creation of a workgroup on nursing career pathways. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. NURSE AIDE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. (a) The Texas |
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Board of Nursing and the Health and Human Services Commission shall |
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jointly develop an operational plan for transitioning the nurse |
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aide certification program from the Health and Human Services |
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Commission to the Texas Board of Nursing. The study must include |
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all financial, operational, and other relevant considerations |
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necessary for the transition. |
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(b) Not later than December 1, 2026, the Texas Board of |
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Nursing and the Health and Human Services Commission shall submit |
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the plan developed under this section to the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
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and each standing committee of the legislature with primary |
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jurisdiction over nursing. |
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SECTION 2. NURSING CAREER PATHWAYS. (a) The Texas Center |
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for Nursing Workforce Studies shall establish and oversee a |
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workgroup to assess the feasibility of better aligning the |
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certification and career pathways of nurse aides, medication aides, |
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and personal care technicians into the nursing profession. |
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(b) The workgroup must include: |
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(1) the executive head of each of the following |
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entities, or that person's designated representative: |
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(A) the Texas Board of Nursing; |
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(B) the Health and Human Services Commission; |
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(C) the Texas Workforce Commission; |
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(D) the Texas Education Agency; and |
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(E) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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Board; and |
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(2) relevant academic or health care professionals. |
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(c) In conducting the assessment under this section, the |
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workgroup shall consider and evaluate: |
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(1) the standards, regulations, and laws currently |
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impacting the nursing profession; |
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(2) the feasibility of alignment in certification |
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requirements for nurse aides, medication aides, and personal care |
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technicians to minimize duplicative efforts in the educational |
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pathways in nursing; and |
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(3) the present and future impact of new business |
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practices and advancing technologies in health care. |
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(d) Not later than December 1, 2026, the workgroup |
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established under this section shall submit a report summarizing |
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the results of the assessment conducted under this section to the |
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governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of |
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representatives, and each standing committee of the legislature |
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with primary jurisdiction over nursing. |
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SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2027. |
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SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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1, 2025. |